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A review by emilyusuallyreading
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
4.0
What I Liked
This novel is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Each word has been carefully crafted until the entire book is as delicious as poetry. The characters are lovable (or hate-able), their stories are powerful, and the magical realism found within these pages works brilliantly.
What I Didn't Like
I don't understand why Ava's story is written in first person. She writes third person omniscient about multiple generations of her family. In fact, Ava is not even born until halfway through the book. Throughout the entirety of the novel, the reader adventures through the thoughts and hearts of characters other than Ava. Hearing Ava speak of herself in first person and just as easily describe what her mother is thinking is a bit distracting. Also, even though Ava speaks of herself in first person, I felt the least connected to her emotions and motivations than I did to any other character.
The pacing is a bit slow. The book is titled The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, but not much of it is actually about Ava. It's a beautiful book, and once I got through the slowest of the pacing, I became completely absorbed. But it is certainly not a fast-paced book.
This novel is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Each word has been carefully crafted until the entire book is as delicious as poetry. The characters are lovable (or hate-able), their stories are powerful, and the magical realism found within these pages works brilliantly.
What I Didn't Like
I don't understand why Ava's story is written in first person. She writes third person omniscient about multiple generations of her family. In fact, Ava is not even born until halfway through the book. Throughout the entirety of the novel, the reader adventures through the thoughts and hearts of characters other than Ava. Hearing Ava speak of herself in first person and just as easily describe what her mother is thinking is a bit distracting. Also, even though Ava speaks of herself in first person, I felt the least connected to her emotions and motivations than I did to any other character.
The pacing is a bit slow. The book is titled The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, but not much of it is actually about Ava. It's a beautiful book, and once I got through the slowest of the pacing, I became completely absorbed. But it is certainly not a fast-paced book.